Moving to Inglewood, CA? Here Are the Local Rules You Should Know

Inglewood is a mid-sized city in Los Angeles County, California, with about 108000 residents. Like most cities its size, it has a set of local rules that may differ significantly from neighboring municipalities. Here is an overview of 151 ordinances across 42 categories that affect daily life in Inglewood.

Special Events & Permits

Sidewalk Dining & Cafés: Any Inglewood business that wants to serve customers outdoors needs a discretionary Outdoor Restaurant permit from the Permits and Licenses Committee under § 8-72, with a $250 fee and $250 annual renewal, and the city can deny it if the use would block a public sidewalk or disturb neighborhood peace and quiet..

Also covered: Park Event Permits (restrictive), Parade Permits (moderate), Street Fair Rules (restrictive). See the full special events & permits guide for Inglewood for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Auto Repair on Residential Property: Inglewood bans vehicle servicing, repair, washing or storage as a home occupation outright. Section 12-17.1(a) of the Municipal Code names cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles and bicycles specifically, so no home-based auto repair business, however small, can ever be authorized in a residential zone..

Also covered: Adult Entertainment (restrictive), Massage Establishments (restrictive), Pawnbrokers (restrictive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Inglewood for details.

Noise Ordinances

Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound: Inglewood requires a registration statement approved under Section 5-50 before anyone besides police or government staff can operate a loudspeaker or sound-amplifying equipment on a street, sidewalk, park, or public property, per Municipal Code Section 5-35. The rule catches fixed and vehicle-mounted PA systems used for talks, addresses, or transmitting music to a crowd..

Also covered: Vehicle Noise (moderate), Aircraft Noise (limited), Barking Dogs (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Inglewood for details.

Tree Protection

Parkway Planting: Inglewood restricts what trees residents may plant in the parkway strip between the sidewalk and curb to species approved on the City's Official Planting Plan. Section 5-57 requires City Council approval, on Park and Recreation Commission recommendation, for any variance from the approved list.

Also covered: Protected Tree Species (moderate), Heritage & Protected Trees (moderate). See the full tree protection guide for Inglewood for details.

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Inglewood's Stormwater Management and Discharge Control Ordinance bans dumping refuse, rubbish, garbage or animal feces on any street, alley, storm drain or private lot under Municipal Code Sec. 10-204(B).

Also covered: Collection Schedule (moderate), Holiday Pickup Schedule (limited), Bin Placement Rules (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Inglewood for details.

Animal Ordinances

Exotic Pets: Inglewood follows California Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations on exotic animal ownership. Most wild, venomous, and large exotic animals are prohibited.

Also covered: Pet Limits (moderate), Dog Leash Laws (moderate), Veterinary Clinic Zoning (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for Inglewood for details.

Fire Regulations

Fireworks: Inglewood bans the sale, use and discharge of all fireworks, including "safe and sane" fireworks, under Municipal Code Secs. 6-3.3 and 6-3.4.

Also covered: Smoke Detectors (moderate), Brush Clearance (moderate), Wildfire Zones (moderate). See the full fire regulations guide for Inglewood for details.

Public Health Rules

Food Handler Certification: Inglewood requires certified food handlers at every food establishment by adopting Los Angeles County Ordinance No. 97-0071 in full under Municipal Code Sec.

Public Conduct

Loud Party Ordinance: Inglewood's short-term rental law flatly bans 'party house' operations: no unit permitted for short-term or vacation rental may be leased for hotel-ballroom-style parties or events, or host a 'loud or unruly gathering' within fifty feet of the property line. Hosts must actively police and abate nuisance conduct within one hour or risk permit revocation..

Also covered: Public Urination (restrictive), Skateboarding Rules (moderate), Jaywalking (moderate). See the full public conduct guide for Inglewood for details.

Short-Term Rentals

Short-Term Rental Permits: Anyone hosting a short-term rental in Inglewood, defined as a stay of thirty days or less, must first obtain a City short-term rental permit under Municipal Code § 8-138. Renting, offering to rent, or advertising a unit without a valid permit is unlawful, and hosts must be natural-person owner-occupants who lived in the unit for the prior year..

Also covered: Occupancy Limits (moderate), Night Caps (moderate), Extended Home Share (restrictive). See the full short-term rentals guide for Inglewood for details.

Parking Rules

RV & Boat Parking: Inglewood bans parking any recreational vehicle or house car on a public street anywhere in the City under Municipal Code § 3-65.4, not just in residential zones. The only way to park one legally on-street is to display a valid temporary parking permit issued by the City; otherwise the vehicle is subject to citation and removal..

Also covered: Preferential Parking Districts (moderate), Loading Zones (moderate), Curb Color Rules (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Inglewood for details.

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Obstruction Rules: Inglewood Municipal Code Sec. 3-35 makes it unlawful to loiter or stand on any sidewalk in a way that blocks pedestrians, harasses passersby, or blocks access to a business or public facility entrance.

Also covered: Sidewalk Repair (moderate), Encroachment Permits (moderate). See the full sidewalk & pedestrian rules guide for Inglewood for details.

Homelessness & Encampment Rules

Sit-Lie Rules: Inglewood Municipal Code Sec. 3-36 makes it unlawful for any person to lie or sleep on any street, sidewalk, or public right-of-way anywhere in the city, not just in designated business districts.

Curfew Laws

Juvenile Curfew: Inglewood bars anyone under 18 from public streets, parks and businesses between 10 p.m. and sunrise on school nights, and between 11 p.m.

Also covered: Park Curfew (moderate). See the full curfew laws guide for Inglewood for details.

Noise from Specific Sources

Generator Noise: Inglewood's tailgating ordinance bans generators over 600 watts from every licensed routine tailgate site near SoFi Stadium, the Kia Forum and other major venues. Section 12-16.9(a)(11)(vi) lists generators alongside charcoal grills, kegs and open flames as items prohibited outright at any City-permitted Tailgating location..

Also covered: Bar & Nightclub Noise (restrictive), HVAC & Mechanical Noise (moderate). See the full noise from specific sources guide for Inglewood for details.

Local Taxes & Fees

Vacancy Tax: Any lender, trustee, or property owner whose Inglewood real estate sits vacant, abandoned, or in foreclosure must register it with the City within 10 days and pay an annual fee of $150 for single-family or multifamily lots and $250 for commercial lots under Municipal Code Section 11-154. Unpaid fees post to the property tax bill with a $200 penalty, and unregistered vacant structures face penalties up to $1,000 per day..

Also covered: Business Tax Classification (moderate), Parking Tax (moderate). See the full local taxes & fees guide for Inglewood for details.

Filming & Production

Location Permits: Anyone shooting commercial motion pictures, television, or still photography on public or private property, or at a residence, in Inglewood must get a film permit first. The nonrefundable application fee is $600, review must be completed within four weeks, and unpermitted filming is an infraction..

Gambling & Gaming

Card Room Licensing: Inglewood authorizes card clubs only under a City Council license, per Article 7 of Chapter 8, with a $25,000 annual license fee plus a monthly gross-revenue fee that scales up to 14% above $7.5 million in revenue. Draw poker, low-ball poker, and panguingue are the only games permitted, and there are no state-mandated wagering limits..

Rental Property Rules

Just Cause Eviction: After 12 months of continuous occupancy, landlords can only terminate covered tenancies for just cause under IMC Article 8-9. No-fault evictions require relocation assistance of 3x monthly rent plus $2,000 if minors reside in the unit.

Also covered: Repairs & Habitability (moderate), Rent Control (moderate), Rental Registration (restrictive). See the full rental property rules guide for Inglewood for details.

Accessory Structures

Garage Conversions: Inglewood bans converting a garage or required parking space into a bedroom, office, storage room, or any other habitable use. IMC § 12-40.1 requires every garage and required parking space to stay available for vehicles at all times and bars renting the space out for anything else.

Also covered: ADU Owner Occupancy (moderate), ADU Rental Restrictions (restrictive), ADU Rules (moderate). See the full accessory structures guide for Inglewood for details.

Building Safety

Green Building Code: New construction, additions and multifamily projects permitted in Inglewood must set aside accessible space for blue-container and organics-container storage under CALGreen, the state's Title 24 green building code, as adopted locally at Municipal Code § 7-53.11. The requirement applies to five-or-more-unit multifamily buildings and to additions over thirty percent of floor area..

Also covered: Building Permits (moderate), Plumbing Permits (moderate), Carbon Monoxide Detectors (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Inglewood for details.

Outdoor Lighting

Billboard Lighting: Inglewood lets monument signs, wall signs, and billboards carry external spotlights, but pole and projecting signs must be lit internally only, and any spotlight has to stay minimally noticeable and aimed away from streets and neighboring property. Large super graphic wall signs face a separate, stricter hazard-based lighting standard tied to air and street traffic safety..

Outdoor Cooking

BBQ & Propane Rules: Inglewood's Municipal Code bars permanent barbecue grills from any yard that separates a house from the street unless that yard sits behind a wall or opaque fence at least five feet high. The rule appears in the residential accessory structures section alongside sheds, trash cans and clotheslines, and covers every R-zoned lot citywide..

Drone Rules

Event Drone Restrictions: Drones are barred outright from every licensed tailgating lot in Inglewood, in both routine 'Tailgating' and City-approved 'Tailgating Events' near SoFi Stadium, the Kia Forum and other major venues. Section 12-16.9 lists drones among prohibited items in both categories of licensed major-event parking..

Home Business

Zoning & Home Occupation Permits: Running a business from an Inglewood home requires Planning and Building Department authorization under Section 12-17.3, and the activity must fit inside one hundred square feet of a single room, use no outside employees, and generate no extra traffic or parking demand under Section 12-17.4's criteria..

Also covered: Customer Traffic Restrictions (moderate), Signage Rules (moderate), Home Daycare (moderate). See the full home business guide for Inglewood for details.

Environmental Rules

Stormwater Management: Inglewood bans illicit connections and illicit discharges to its municipal storm drain system under Article 16 of the Municipal Code. Dumping landscape debris, pet waste, wash water, or any other pollutant into a street, gutter, catch basin, or storm drain violates the ordinance, and the Public Works Director's enforcement staff can inspect, cite, and pursue criminal or civil action against violators..

Also covered: Flood Zones (moderate), Erosion Control (moderate), Coastal Development (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Inglewood for details.

Landscaping Rules

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees: No one may cut, disfigure, relocate or remove a protected tree in Inglewood without a Tree Removal and Cutting Permit from the Parks, Recreation and Library Services Department, filed with the Master Fee Schedule inspection fee before any work begins..

Also covered: Rainwater Harvesting (permissive), Native Plants (restrictive), Artificial Turf (restrictive). See the full landscaping rules guide for Inglewood for details.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Setback Rules: Inglewood's R-1 One-Family Zone requires a front yard equal to 25% of lot depth, capped at 25 feet, a side yard of at least 10% of lot width (never less than 3 feet, never more than 5 feet required), and a rear yard equal to 25% of lot depth, capped at 25 feet, with no main building closer than 5 feet to the rear line..

Also covered: Structure Height Limits (moderate), Lot Coverage Limits (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for Inglewood for details.

Cannabis Regulations

Dispensary Zoning: Inglewood bans commercial cannabis activity, including dispensaries, in every zone citywide and issues no permit or license for it, carving out only inpatient medical cannabis dispensing at a hospital or medical facility holding a Special Use Permit..

Also covered: Home Cultivation (restrictive). See the full cannabis regulations guide for Inglewood for details.

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Density Bonus Law: Inglewood grants a density bonus of up to 20 percent, rising to 35 percent, plus development incentives, to housing projects that set aside units for very low, low, or moderate-income households under Article 33 of the Municipal Code..

Also covered: Downtown Design Guide (moderate). See the full zoning overlays & bonuses guide for Inglewood for details.

Sign Regulations

Digital Billboards: Inglewood defines a digital or tri-vision sign as any billboard where light changes intensity, color, or motion, including rotating and flashing displays. Under Municipal Code Section 12-80(E), an applicant for an illuminated digital or tri-vision wall sign must file written documentation proving the light will not interfere with normal use of adjacent roadways and properties before the Planning and Building Department approves it..

Also covered: Freeway-Facing Signs (restrictive), Garage Sale Signs (moderate), Window Signs (moderate). See the full sign regulations guide for Inglewood for details.

Fence Regulations

Material Restrictions: Barbed wire and sharp or protruding fence materials are banned outright on residential fences and walls in Inglewood. Nonresidential properties can only add barbed wire with an approved variance showing it is necessary for security and no reasonable alternative exists, and razor wire is prohibited citywide in every zone..

Also covered: Fence Permit Requirements (moderate), Height Limits (moderate), Neighbor Fence Rules (permissive). See the full fence regulations guide for Inglewood for details.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Vending Zones: Vending from a vehicle on an Inglewood street is legal only if the truck is lawfully parked, does not block a sidewalk or force pedestrians into the street, and stays off the sidewalk itself. Section 3-162 also fixes vending hours by zone: no operating in a residential or mixed-residential zone between 10:00 p.m.

Also covered: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (moderate), Food Truck Permits (moderate). See the full food trucks & mobile vendors guide for Inglewood for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Pool Permits: Building permits are required for pool construction in Inglewood. Plans must show pool location, dimensions, distances from property lines, electrical, plumbing, and structural engineering.

Also covered: Fencing & Safety Requirements (moderate). See the full swimming pools & spas guide for Inglewood for details.

Water Use Rules

Recycled Water Rules: Inglewood requires new and rehabilitated landscape projects to install dual-distribution recycled water irrigation systems under Municipal Code Section 5-113.3(f), and the city's potable-water conservation article exempts recycled water entirely from its usage restrictions, letting recycled water flow on any day and at any hour..

Data Centers & Crypto Mining

Data Center Noise Limits: Inglewood caps sound at the property line using base ambient levels: residential 45 dB(A) overnight and 55 dB(A) daytime, commercial 65 dB(A), and industrial 75 dB(A). Municipal Code Sections 5-27 and 5-30 govern; data-center cooling and generators must comply..

Also covered: Data Center Zoning & Siting (permissive). See the full data centers & crypto mining guide for Inglewood for details.

Solar Energy

Panel Permits: Inglewood Municipal Code Section 11-169 sets the technical standards every rooftop solar installation must satisfy before the Building Official issues a permit: State Fire, Plumbing, Electrical and Public Utilities Commission safety compliance, accredited listing-agency certification for water-heating systems, and a mandatory call to the regional underground-utility notification center before any ground rod is installed..

Also covered: Expedited Solar Permitting (moderate), HOA Restrictions (limited). See the full solar energy guide for Inglewood for details.

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Inglewood requires a Finance Director permit for any garage sale and caps households to two permits per calendar year under Section 5-82.3. A $5 processing fee applies, sales must run 9:00 a.m.

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Inglewood repealed its local peddler and solicitor permit ordinance (former §§ 8-78 through 8-81.2) by Ordinance 23-17 on September 12, 2023. Door-to-door solicitation is now policed through California's general criminal trespass statute, Penal Code § 602(o), which lets a resident or the police remove a canvasser who won't leave..

Also covered: No-Knock Registry (moderate). See the full soliciting & door-to-door guide for Inglewood for details.

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: Inglewood Municipal Code Section 11-70.2 lists eighteen specific conditions that make a property a public nuisance, from abandoned and boarded-up buildings to structurally dangerous buildings under the Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings. Every listed condition is a tiered infraction, and the City Administrator can order abatement..

Also covered: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (moderate). See the full property maintenance guide for Inglewood for details.

HOA Rules

CC&R Enforcement: In Inglewood's R-1Z zero-lot-line zone, Section 12-18.19 makes clear that the city's zoning standards are a floor, not a ceiling: a homeowners association or its architectural review committee can impose additional limits on improvements or alterations beyond what Chapter 12 requires, and the city zoning code does not preempt or override that private authority..

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Inglewood charges hotel guests a transient occupancy tax of 15.5 percent of the rent charged by the operator, collected at the time rent is paid and owed as a debt to the City until paid. The tax applies to hotels, motels, inns, and similar lodging, and short-term rental hosts must remit it too..

What to Do With This Information

Think of this as a map of the regulatory landscape in Inglewood. For any rule that directly affects a decision you are making, click through to the full ordinance page for penalty details and exceptions, and confirm with the city if the stakes are high.